Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1887-04-29
ROSEBURG REVIEW
FRIDAY. APRIL, 20. 1887.
COMMUNICATIONS.
WAsH1NeroS, Arril, 18th, 1887.

their existence, have been diseon-
tinred. They have not all been rele.
gated to the past however. The rule
which closes the Government Depart
ment buildings to visitors at two
o'clock is still in force, much to the
inconvenience Of strangers.
1t is serious disappointment to
visitors here only for few days, and
trying to get as much sightseeing as
possible into that time, to be shut out
at SO carly an hour from SO many
places Of interest. They feel and
have right to feel that in a peoples
Government the peoples convenience
ought to be considered little, and
that they should be given what pleas
ure they can get from the corridors,
elevators, museums, and curiosity
rooms Of the buildings as long as they
are open for business.
Speaking of sightseeing in the de-
partments. | often think how mo-
notonous must be the duties Of those
officials who are delegated to exhibit
the objects of interest to visitors.
But they show wonderful freshness
about the time-worn business. There
is nothing perfunctory about the man
who exhibits the rogues' gallery, or
the piles Of counterfeit money, OF the
secret service room, and only person
who has party of friends TO escort
there about once year can realize
how many times he has told the same
things over, yet, always with an un.
failing brightness of expression and
quaintness os humor.
Senator Cockrelrs investigating
committee (the Senate select commit
tee which is now probing the methods
Of work in the different Executive de
partments Of the government) has un-
dertaken gigantic task, but 1T will
make an elaborate report of its labors
sometime in the future. The Missouri
Senator is a very conscientious; pains
taking man, and he is giving the pub
lie offices much annoyance. ard nc
little uneasiness. He wants to know
(you know and the number Of things
the public don't know and that Sen
ator Cockrell will have great deal o.
trouble in finding out, is astonishing
The complaint is often made nov
that there is too much ''red tape" ane
that the employees of the government
have very few hours to work, and yer.
little work within those hours as com
pared with persons employed in simi
lar capacities by private business con
Germs. But such annoying feature
are mseparably connected with tn
theory Of government work. 1t mus
be put through by processes as nearl
mechanical as possible, so that th
death or removal Of clerk may ne
throw an entire office out of gear, an
SO that the dishonesty Of any one Ell
ploye will be discovered when the wor
on which he practiced it is turned ovt
to another for the next stage of /
progress.
All this involes the reduction
business to infinite detail and its di
tribution among a multitude Of peopl
1t Senator Cockrell and his committ'
can find way Of simplifying the
processes their discovery will be war,
ly welcomed. The results of the
labor can not fail to be of value al
will certainly be of interest, aboundii
in information which, to the gener
public, is now in the nature of scal'
book.
The committee is not expected
pass judgment upon the civil servi
law, but accidentally the operations
the law will come under the purvie
of the committee, and the latter VI
be expected to answer such question
as the following. Is the Governme
any better served-the public busine
more rapidly expedited, the morals
the methods of the several Department
in any respect the gainer-now tn
what is called the "spoils system" h
been done away with?
1t is matter of no small impol
tance. The people are told that t
civil service law, in its classified a
plication, is working wonders of
form, but they have only hearsay e
dence to that effect. They are assur
that it is doing away with great d'
of favoritism, relieving the appoint
power of much embarrassment, puri
ing the channels of patronage, and e
waiting the standard of clerical mel
They are interested in knowing whe
er civil service reform is really all Il
it's friends claim, or whether it i
sham and humbug as its enem
insist, Senator CockrelPs commit
with so good an opportunity col
find out all about it,
.@4AN,~
In the city and suburbs Of Montl'
Canada, there are 10 Methodist S
bath schools, with, 1916 schol;
The missionary contributions Of til